A second chance to achieve my dreams
“Cooking was always a passion of mine. Unfortunately, my incarceration got in the way and I was unable to pursue it for some time. So, when my halfway house officer told me about HCSA Academy, I knew I had to…
ex-offender
I am keen to learn whatever they teach me
“Despite working in hawker centres for a long time, I still lacked certifications that many employers were looking for. So would I be working in the restaurant I’m in now without HCSA Academy? Probably not. It really helps when employers…
I didn’t want my family to worry anymore
“I spent half my age in and out of prison for drug-related offences. It was after NS that I had my first taste of drugs out of curiosity, but things started to collapse when I got introduced to heroin. I…
I caused a lot of hurt to those I love
“It all started when I had my first taste of drugs at the age of 16 – just out of curiosity. This was the start of many years going in and out of DRC and prison. Twice, I even landed…
If only I did not do drugs…
“After being kicked out, I was homeless – no money, no place to sleep, and I even had to ask others to help me get food. You can’t imagine how lousy and down I felt. Soon after, I went back…
Rediscovering the beauty in life
“I spent 20 years going in and out of prison. During my term, I did a lot of in-depth reflection and realised that I was enslaved by anger, deceitfulness, fear and greed. I started using all these bad feelings as…
From convict to chef
“At the age of 17, I served a two-year prison sentence for illegal business involvement and came to HCSA Highpoint for rehabilitation upon my release. I stayed at Highpoint for nearly three years, where I worked as a part-time mover…
My family and aspirations kept me going
“I left home when I was 12 years old and dropped out of school after Primary 6. My parents often quarreled because of me. My mother had always sided with me but I knew deep inside she was always concerned…